Déjà vu
by Sasukeluva 4eva
Summary: Déjà vu. That was what it was. How else was it that Team 7 was assigned the task of escorting Tazuna and his grandson Inari back to the Land of Waves? So what happens when a relic of the nukenin kind reappears before Sakura, and asks for her assistance?


**a/n: Ah-HA, another new one here! This was actually a fic that I had originally posted on my profile to see if anyone was interested in it, but since I got no response, I assumed that none of the plots were liked enough to bother. **

**So now that I have gone through my account again, I figured 'Why the hell not?' and started this anyways! **

**Enjoy! (:**

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_Summary (full)__; _

_Déjà vu. _

_That's what it was; why else would Team 7 be assigned with the job to aid and protect the old geezer Tazuna the Master Bridge builder himself, back to the Land of Waves, a place __none__ of the shinobi of __that__ team had ever been back to? _

_Too many unwanted memories and emotions would be tossed up in the turmoil. _

_But it appears that they have no choice in the matter; this was an S-ranked mission in disguise, where all the stakes are too high to risk it to chance, and the cost for failing would be the untimely death of another innocent man, along with his apprentice grandson Inari. _

_So what do they do? _

_They accept the mission, and escort Inari and Tazuna back to their hometown, after they had made extensive repairs to the village, which was still in ruin three years after Pain brought it crashing to its knees. _

_But when a relic long-since sought out by Team Kakashi suddenly appears for no apparent reason, how will they react? _

_Especially the pink haired kunoichi whom has ached to properly love him, long after he had become an S-ranked criminal; and when he states in dull monotone that he needed her, how does Sakura take the news? _

_What sinister motives lie beneath the Uchiha's facade, and will Sakura come out of this more hurt than she had been in the beginning?_

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_**Rating**__; M_  
_**  
Categories**_; _Action/Romance  
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Disclaimer**__: IDNON, BIDHTOS! That is all.  
__**  
Characters (Pairings)**__; Sasuke Uchiha (Team Hebi), Sakura Haruno, Team Kakashi, SasuxSakuxTeam 7 fic! _

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**S**a_s_**u**k_e_**l**u_v_**a **4_e_**v**a_ p_**r**e_s_**e**n_t_**s;**

_***~*Déjà vu*~***_  
_  
Subtitle_;  
o0._The Mission is...? Journey to the Land of Waves; Avenger's retribution short-lived!.0o_

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_**C**_h_a_**p**t_e_**r** 1

***~*_R_**e_p_**e**t_**i**t_i_v_**e**_** N**_o_t_**i**o_n**s*~***_

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"—so now that we have all gathered here, I shall address the point directly."

The busty, blonde haired, amber eyed Hokage stated bluntly as she folded her hands beneath her chin, cresting her face upon the clutched appendages as she put each member of her chosen squad under her scrutinising gaze; they seemed a little squirmy today, wriggling and shifting under her intimidating, imposing aura as they tried to remain objective in their purpose—that is, the reason as to why they had been summoned to the mission-requests hall, rather than to Tsunade's office.

Jiraiya seemed mildly bemused by the shinobis' discomfiture, but that was soon forgotten the minute the blonde haired powerhouse turned her monstrous glare in his direction; apparently she was not pleased by his laidback attitude, especially on a day like this.

"What are you grinning at, you fool? Learn some manners and etiquette when in the presence of others!"

Ouch, she was in a snarky mood today; what stick had been jammed up her ass lately?

God, she could be such a thorn in his side sometimes!

"Ero-sennin! Why's baa-chan in such bad mood today? And why is it that _we_ have to bear the brunt of her wrath?"

A terse, deep, distinctly masculine voice echoed in the otherwise eerily silent din, causing the tension in the atmosphere to only thicken and intensify; Tsunade felt the veins popping in her forehead as she let a single twitch grace her honey-brown orbs, the former (being Jiraiya) instantly wary of her next few movements—it wouldn't be too much trouble for someone of her stature and obvious temper to snap and seek out blood, the blood of his idiot student no less.

He had been subjected to enough of her fury to know this as a fact.

Grunting noncommittally, Jiraiya chose to ignore the moron's former statement, for the better part of watching Tsunade's reaction from a safe distance; he had stuck his neck out (amongst other things) time and time again for the foolish blonde, but he knew when to draw the line, especially if it happened to involve the raging spitfire known as none other than Tsunade of the Three Legendary Sannin.

Yes, he knew his limitations well enough to be aware of the fact that she could easily break every bone in his body with just a single pinky-flick.

Smirking at the thought of his 'apprentice' being stalked down by a blood-lusting Tsunade, Jiraiya settled himself in his seat, letting the sneer drop in favour of a more fitting expression; that being, a lecherous grin, as he stole a look at Tsunade's rear—always so lovely and firm...

"Eyes off ass _now_, Jiraiya, or I swear to you that you will be able to comprehend the true meaning of pain after I'm finished beating the living shit out of you."

Tsunade spat without looking up at him (it didn't take much for her to realise that he was staring for far longer than he should have been; looking _at_ _all_ was bad enough), her amber orbs narrowing into slits as she glared at the open scroll that was messily strewn over her makeshift 'desk'; why was it always _these_ sorts of missions that she had to hand out?

"Shishou, with all due respect, could we please cut to the specifics as to _why_ we are here, aside from the obvious appointment of a mission?"

Tsunade turned her heated gaze upon her pink haired student, whom did not for a moment falter for a second even as the blonde Hokage burned holes through her with her eyes; because of that, and that alone, Tsunade found herself softening, if only a little.

Only her student could do this, have this profoundly calming effect upon her; she was the only one that understood the way her logic worked.

And it seemed that there were several others admiring her from a distance too, the drunken look of love and lust (Naruto and Jiraiya, if you can match them up appropriately) radiating off of the student-sensei duo as the rosette stared determinedly at her mentor.

Kakashi stood alongside her, face buried as per usual behind his mask as he stuck his nose into his perverted 'Icha Icha Paradise' (allegedly a work of art cultivated by Jiraiya, but both the females knew better than that), a contented look somewhat plastered to his obscured features; men truly were ruled by their hormones.

That only seemed to be more evident as one in particular scooted closer to the patiently waiting pinkette, their shoulders brushing passed one another's as they looked on at Tsunade for news of their summon; sighing in defeat, the blonde peeled her hands from beneath her chin, rubbing her temples thoughtfully before speaking.

"Ugh, I have a mission for you, as Team Kakashi. I am well aware that you are all of jonin stature, but this will require much tact and skill, and since you are affiliated personally with both this case—being the landscape of the country—and the people involved, I am positive that you are the eligible selection for this S-ranked mission. Do you wish for me to elaborate more, or will you accept unknowingly?"

At their hesitant glances toward one another, as if seeking confidence and strength to reassure one another, Tsunade bit back the urge to growl; she was irritated today, no doubt about it. But this mission was something highly impersonal to each individual member of Team 7, so it was hard not to be emotionally disconnected at such a time as this.

"Perhaps a showing of _who_ your clients and charges shall be will make things clearer for your judgement calls. Shizune, please show them in."

The three shinobi turned on their heels at the sound of a door being slid to a complete open, the pair in the doorway enough to have several excited whoops exit Naruto's lips.

"HEY, OLD MAN TAZUNA! And Inari! Whoa, man, you've both grown! Well, I mean, Inari's gotten taller, and Tazuna has gotten older!"

The blonde bellowed with a large goofy grin as he loped over to them, towering over the older man and the young teen indefinitely; standing at a good six foot two had its vantages after all.

"Well what do we have here? If it isn't Naruto! Look at you now, laddie! You've grown since the last time I saw you!"

Tazuna said with much mirth and a chipper smile as he clapped Naruto on the back, a bottle of liquor clutched within the confines of his spare hand; old habits die hard, it seemed.

Sakura couldn't withhold the smile that graced her lips as she watched the pair converse, with snippets of Inari here and there; the bear hug Naruto gave him after his brief conversation with Tazuna was almost something to laugh at, since the boy turned blue from the lack of oxygen he was receiving—Kakashi had been the one to gently reprimand Naruto for his error, as per usual of the lax yet confronting sensei.

Even after all of the years that had passed, Sakura still called him Kakashi-sensei, even when he insisted otherwise; after all, he was a very precious person to her, therefore entitling him to that endearment whether he liked it or not (she knew that on the inside, he was pleased that she still saw him as the same man from her early genin days).

It summoned a painful pang to her chest, however, whenever she associated with her childhood memories; because in every one of them, _he_ was there.

Always there, imposing upon her peace of mind and slowly but surely ruining her for good; _he_ was the one constant source of pain that remained for Sakura, the only weakness she would fall for time and time again. Sure, she loved her friends—particularly Team 7—very dearly, but he was... he was... everything to her.

Her life's breath, her sky, her moon, her sun, her _life_ itself; he was _everything_.

And that was why he was such a danger to her. Simply because she knew that if she ever encountered him again, her determination would falter, and she too would ultimately weaken in the process; he would always be her life's force, yet he would also forever remain the one person that could destroy it all prematurely.

He just had that sort of control over her.

Sighing with that same sadness lacing the depths of her eyes and tone—going unnoticed by everyone but her ever-observant silver haired sensei—Sakura turned back to Tsunade, whom had cleared her throat to gesticulate her growing annoyance; whatever could be her problem?

But it seemed that Naruto hadn't heard, as he continued to converse freely with Tazuna.

"Oh! Where on earth is Sasuke? I figured that we could talk too... it's been far too long since I saw him as well..."

Sakura visibly stiffened at the mention of her former love's name; it was still a taboo streak for her, a tender wound that had never quite healed, leaving the ugliest of scars in its place. Kakashi and Tsunade both inwardly worried for the rosette's stability, but she simply remained quiet and reserved.

Naruto, for once, was at a loss for words; his face went from bubbly and cheerful, to solemn and depressed in one single motion—it piqued the curiosity of both the old bridge-builder, and his apprentice grandson.

"Er... Sasuke... he's... kinda...sorta... not—"

"He left on a mission that will probably last for a couple of months, perhaps even a year or two. He would have been really happy to see you guys though, so don't feel down about it! I'm sure that he would have been more than willing to have talked with you, Tazuna-san!"

Everyone turned their slightly stunned faces to where Sakura stood, form rigid and a faux smile plastered to her features, each person's mouth slightly ajar for their own reasons.

Naruto; because he was shocked at her open attempt at lying to Tazuna and Inari.

Kakashi; because his heart ached for hers (although you could barely tell that his mouth was parted anyways, what with the mask shadowing his natural expression—that, and his eyes said all that needed to be).

Tsunade; because she was sympathising with her situation.

Jiraiya; ... well... he had lost Orochimaru all those years ago, so... what more could be said?

Tazuna; because he had neither expected her to speak, let alone lie about Sasuke's whereabouts—he wasn't stupid or senile like he had been accused of so frequently when he had been building the Great Naruto Bridge. He _knew_ when someone was lying through their teeth, and the rosette was of no exception. It was just a question of _why_ she was covering up for him.

And lastly, Inari; because he was simply confused with the sudden change in atmosphere... that, and the fact that the pink haired woman was now an exotic beauty that made his heartbeat accelerate and his blood boil just a little more than before...

"Well, now that that is settled, and the reintroductions have taken place, may I get to the point of this mission?"

Curt nods of ascent followed.

Such well-trained nin they were.

"Good. Now, your job is to escort Tazuna and Inari the Bridge-Builders back to the Land of Waves _safely_. Do you understand that, _Naruto_?"

"Baa-chan! Why do you always pick on _me_?"

Naruto screeched with a heavy scowl on his lips, clearly affronted by her former comment.

"Simple; because you have the tendency to let your 'instincts' cloud your judgment, a flaw that can easily be taken care of and used to the enemies advantage, even now as a shinobi of jonin status. So please, do take into regards that you have to transport the charges back to their village, _alive_, and in one piece."

Laughter broke out in the din as Naruto growled indignantly, huffing and pouting with a plump lower lip as he jutted out his hip in a rebellious manner.

With his head thrust to the side dramatically, and his arms crossed against his chest, he was the picturesque image of a practical joker; a comedian that thrived off of attention, but only when it was not directly insulting his pride and ego.

Such a child at heart.

And with that thought, the laughter only grew in volume, before Kakashi furtively raised a hand to draw attention to himself.

"Yes, Kakashi?"

Tsunade drawled in an irritated manner, her eyes starting to take on a cloudy edge as she gulped down harsh mouthfuls of what appeared to be nothing but water; it seemed that she had once again craftily coveted some sake that was sure to have been burning its descent into the very pits of her throat.

Smiling behind his mask (the only noticeable way of noting this being the crinkling of his obsidian orbs), Kakashi meekly scratched the side of his neck, before a complete aura of seriousness washed off of him, and he asked in a deadly monotone the _one_ thing that the blonde haired beauty had been dreading to hear.

"What exactly is it that Tazuna-san and Inari-kun are in need of protection from, Tsunade-sama?"

Closing her eyes as her form went slightly more rigid than normal (especially since she was currently wafting between inebriation), Tsunade contemplated her choice of words carefully, not quite knowing how to put this delicately.

_'God, I need another drink... I'm starting to sober up already...'  
_

"Shishou?"

Tsunade's eyes flickered open briefly enough to take in the figure of her student; this news may surely destroy her, especially since she had been making such an effort to rid herself of her memories.

The memories that contained nothing but _him_.

"The threat that has usurped this situation... the reason why I need _all_ three of you, as _joni n_-classed shinobi of the Hidden Leaf Village, is because..."

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_**.**._

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_Sakura's eyes widened as she spun on her heel, in time to completely swerve out of the path of an enraged monster. _

_No, that title just didn't seem fitting... more like a demonic spawn of hell itself. _

_It had transformed into something truly horrifying, the kind of creature that only nightmares could conjure. Except this creature, this __**thing**__, was far, __**far**__ worse than possibly conceivable. _

_It was something only her mind's eye could have ever possibly thought plausible... something that __**shouldn't**__ have been allowed to exist in this world. _

_But it seemed to fit, in a tragically ironic sort of sense... after all... ninja always turned out to be screwed up in one way or another. _

_So in some twisted way, he fit in. _

_But that didn't mean that he wasn't one of the most frightening beings she had ever witnessed in her presence. _

_And it kept charging at her, as if she were some kind of lure... _

_"RRRRRAAAARRRGHH!" _

_The hoarse, rumbling cry echoed in the steepness of the valley as Sakura leapt from tree to tree, hoping to somehow shake him loose from her scent; he seemed too drawn, too __**entranced**__ by her, to ever let her out of his sights. _

_The rosette tumbled down from the trees when the creature suddenly shifted before her, with speed incomprehensible, spin-kicking her with a single leg raised above her head, causing her body to rapidly descend towards the tough, hard ground, where she tore through the soil, the craggy earth lifting and smashing on impact. _

_The pain was agonising, especially where he had delivered a hefty blow to her skull; the rosette was positive it was fractured, and that she had most likely procured an induced concussion from it. _

_But even with her injuries as bad as they were, Sakura flipped out of the large crater in time to avoid the angry lunge the demonic man made, his sickeningly browned skin expanding and stretching as more muscle configuration began, the bones extending out far beyond their normal capabilities; now he was complete. _

_And now he was even more repulsive than before. _

_The bloodlust that radiated off of him as he collided with the ground rendered the pinkette numb, the splintering cold of the stagnant, pouring rain on her almost naked skin barely registering with her now; normally she wouldn't have frozen like some amateur genin. _

_But she had never been so... __**petrified**__ of her enemy before in her life. He was... something out of hell itself. _

_That was the only conclusion she could make. _

_Snapping back into reality, Sakura dropped down onto the muddy surface she stood upon just as the furious demon charged at her, the pinkette spin-flipping on the ground before snapping her leg out, nailing him with her naked foot in the gut, making sure to pack all the chakra she could into her lethal kick as she heard the none-too-subtle 'crack!' of his ribs snapping and breaking in every direction. _

_It was satisfying to hear the sound of her enemies bones shattering and splitting in two or more pieces, but she had to wait and see what would happen next; thankfully, the strength she had poured into the kick was enough, as it sent the man spiralling into the nearest cragged cliff-face, the entire mountain upheaving and splintering into flecks of rubble and debris, the earthquake it initiated shaking the earth to its very core as trees crashed to the broken earth as well, the tremors enough to bring a large gust of wind so powerful that it nearly uprooted the entire forest, the rosette having to lean forward against the sudden change in atmosphere. _

_At least it was over now; she could no longer detect his presence. _

_Slumping in relief, Sakura turned to leave, only to have a monstrous fist snare around her thin, smooth neck, grasping her throat with enough force to constrict her windpipe and crush her trachea. _

_She was losing oxygen, the blood no longer circulating. _

_Sakura could vaguely make out the blurry shape of the vile demon that was killing her, but could not discern his features. _

_Death was just behind closed curtains. _

_An explosion sounded in the otherwise silent domain, fuzzy and inaudible to the pinkette, whom was just seconds away from a peaceful, everlasting slumber, and then all of a sudden, oxygen filled her lungs as the brute that was holding her was ripped away, the burning in her chest only intensifying as she struggled to get a hold of reality, of herself. _

_Willing herself to crack open an eye, Sakura barely managed to capture the blue static electricity that scattered over the area, but from what her hearing could discern, it appeared to be the faint chirping of one thousand birds... _

_'Kakashi...-sensei...' _

_All was silent once again. _

_For now._

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_When Sakura awoke, she stumbled from the cave that she had been residing in, her entire body screaming in protest as she tried to make out who it was that had saved her from her impending doom, whom was walking on the very recesses of the horizon; it was only brief, but as the sun slowly rose, the figure turned his face toward her direction, and instantly locked eyes with hers._

_That was __**not**__ Kakashi-sensei... and only __**one**__ other person could perform the chidori, especially at __**that**__ level of skill. _

_She had seen it before, four years ago, when she was fifteen. _

_But she was sure she would never see it again._

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"'_The threat that has usurped this situation... the reason why I need __**all**__ three of you, as __**jonin**__-classed shinobi of the Hidden Leaf Village, is because...'"_

_._

_.._

_.._

_._

_Is because __**Uchiha Sasuke**__ is the one opting for Tazuna's life._

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**a/n: DUN-DUN-**_**DUN**_**! Cliffies are love! XD **

**I hope you guys like this, and I sorta pray it wasn't too bad! I know it was boring, but now that the essential details are out of the way, I can finally focus on the proper plot to this story! So it should be a lot more interesting from now on! Believe it! XD**

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My updates may become more infrequent once again, as personal problems have risen, and can't be avoided... so under these circumstances, don't expect any updates from me on any of my other fics like HHS (and I KNOW that I promised, but I am a very busy person right now! Gomenesai minna! TT^TT) for a little bit, even if I DO get the right amount of reviews for it...

I am aware that I promised, but I just can't deal with life right now. So please, understand this and be kind to me! (:

Please, please, please review guys! ^^

Until the next time I decide to update again!

Ja ne! x)

*-Sasukeluva 4eva out-*


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